Browse the evidence

The simple, short questionnaires on activity and inactivity used in the Nurses' Health Study II are reasonably valid measures for epidemiological research.

Researchers can confidently use these questionnaires in epidemiological studies.

Women reporting usually irregular or very irregular menstrual cycles had an increased risk for nonfatal or fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) with age-adjusted relative risks of 1.25 and 1.67, respectively.

Practitioners should consider menstrual cycle regularity as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women.

Increased risks for coronary heart disease associated with prior cycle irregularity remained significant after adjustment for body mass index and several potential confounders.

Menstrual cycle irregularity should be evaluated in the context of other health metrics when assessing cardiovascular risk.

There was a nonsignificant increase in overall stroke risk associated with very irregular cycles (RR, 1.30; 95% CI = 0.97-1.74).

While there may be a link between menstrual irregularity and stroke risk, further investigation is needed due to the nonsignificant nature of the findings.

Smokers had much lower plasma levels of beta-carotene than did nonsmokers (geometric mean 8.5 vs. 15.3 micrograms/dl for men; 17.3 vs. 26.3 micrograms/dl for women).

Practitioners should consider the impact of smoking on beta-carotene levels when assessing nutritional status.

The correlation of calorie-adjusted intake of vitamin E with lipid-adjusted plasma levels of vitamin alpha-tocopherol was 0.53 for men and 0.51 for women.

Practitioners should note the importance of vitamin E intake for maintaining adequate plasma levels.

There is no evidence of lower mortality among overweight or obese patients with diabetes compared to normal-weight counterparts.

Clinicians should be cautious in assuming that being overweight or obese is protective against mortality in diabetic patients.

On average, most patients lose 60% of excess weight after gastric bypass and 40% after vertical banded gastroplasty.

Practitioners can expect significant weight loss outcomes from these bariatric procedures.

In about 30% of patients, weight regain occurs at 18 months to 2 years after surgery.

Practitioners should be aware of the potential for weight regain in a significant portion of patients post-surgery.

Water-soluble fiber is slightly more strongly associated with reduced coronary death than water-insoluble fiber.

Encouraging the consumption of water-soluble fiber may be beneficial for reducing coronary death risk.

Higher frequency of aspirin intake was associated with an increasing prevalence of constipation (PR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.17-1.62).

Caution may be needed regarding aspirin use as it may contribute to constipation.

The concept of personal responsibility is central to social, legal, and political approaches to obesity.

Understanding the role of personal responsibility can inform policy and intervention strategies.

Environmental conditions can override individual regulatory systems, undermining personal responsibility.

Policies should consider environmental factors to effectively address obesity.

The relative risk for diagnosis of diabetes in the ramipril group was 0.60 when using hemoglobin A(1c) greater than 110% as a criterion.

This suggests that monitoring hemoglobin A(1c) could be beneficial in assessing diabetes risk in patients on ramipril.

HSP72 and HO-1 mRNA expression correlate with insulin-stimulated glucose disposal.

Understanding these correlations may help in developing strategies to improve insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients.

Adults in the United States reported taking an average of 5117 steps per day.

Practitioners should note that U.S. adults are generally less active based on step counts.

Cigarette smokers had increased serum levels of DHEA (18% higher), DHEAS (13% higher), cortisol (5% higher), androstenedione (33% higher), testosterone (9% higher), DHT (14% higher), and SHBG (8% higher) compared to nonsmokers, independent of relative weight and age.

Practitioners should be aware that smoking significantly affects hormone levels in middle-aged men.

Androstenedione, total plasma testosterone, albumin-bound testosterone, DHT, and SHBG decreased with increasing relative weight.

Weight management may be important for maintaining healthy hormone levels in middle-aged men.

Alcohol intake was positively associated with DHEA, cortisol, and 3-alpha-androstanediol-glucuronide.

Moderate alcohol consumption may influence certain hormone levels in middle-aged men.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 25.8% overall, varying by ethnic group: 41.6% among Native Indians, 25.9% among South Asians, 22.0% among Europeans, and 11.0% among Chinese.

Healthcare providers should be aware of the varying prevalence of metabolic syndrome among different ethnic groups.

Fibrinolytic dysfunction, indicated by elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels, mediates the increased risk of CVD in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Interventions aimed at improving fibrinolytic function may be beneficial for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Garlic has proven adverse effects including malodorous breath and body odor.

Practitioners should be aware of the potential for garlic to cause unpleasant odors.

The association between body mass index and stroke risk is weak, with a relative risk of 1.29 for the highest quintile compared to the lowest.

Body mass index alone may not be a reliable indicator of stroke risk in men.

Waist circumference alone has a weaker relation to stroke risk, with a relative risk of 1.52 for the highest quintile compared to the lowest.

Waist circumference may not be as critical a measure for stroke risk as waist/hip ratio.